Vehicle spring



Aug. 30 1927.

F. J. LAHER VEHICLE SPRING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 2, 1924 F. J. LAHER VEHICLE SPRING Filed Det. 2, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 y pressedPatented Aug. 30, i 1927.

' i tem-,71e

PATENT orifice.

FRANK J. LAHER, or PORTLAND, OREGON.

VEHICLE sPRING.

Application led October 2, 1924. Serial'No. 741,164.

My invention Concerns an auxiliary spring tor the load carrying Vspringsof a vehicle.

which may either be embodied in a readily demountable attachment to saidspring, or may be connected thereto so as toconstitute a connected unittherewith.

The object of my invention-is toV connect said auxiliary spring in sucha manner that the latter will be permitted normal tlexure under ordinaryloads, but when said load 'exceeds a predetermined maximum that thefurther lexure will be distributed by said connections between said loadcarrying springs and said auxiliarv spring. Y

In this application I have shown'two modifications, embodying myinvention, the iirst of which is the preferable type. The first example`consists of a load carrying spring and an auxiliary spring fastenedtogether at their middle, the extremities of said auxiliary spring beinglloosely connected with the-ends of the load carrying spring by suitabledevices, for example U-clips. The connection is such that the loadcarrying springs normally support the .entire load under ordinary loads,but when the load is increased beyond a predetermined maximum, the con-ynections distribute the load in parte tothe auxiliary springs. Y

The second embodiment consists ofan auxiliary spring fastened to theload carrying springin asimilar manner, `but the con Y' nection is suchthat the springs are connected v by a member havingplittle or no playbut the restraint'of the auxiliaryv spring upon the load carrying springVis negligible when said load carrying spring carries an ordinaryl load,but when said load is increased beyond a predetermined maximum theresistance of the auxiliary spring yincreases proportionately greaterthan the load carrying spring and thus carries a proportionately greaterproportion of the excess load than it does of said ordinary load. Inthis embodiment I also show how auxiliary springs may be comso that theynot only do not'help to support the load when it is under saidpredetermined maximum, v'but Valso may 'act asA a check againstreboundand when the load increases beyond saidmaxlmurn it may serve asan auxiliary support for said load merely l by ehaiggifrgrtlietensien'ot isiaidvspringV and spring to said load carryingv theproportionate rate of increase in lexure over that of said 'loadcarrying spring. p

l I havehereinafter disclosed both lembodiments and described them ingreater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In thedrawings:

Fig. 1 yisan elevation of my invention with the auxiliary spring shownas an attachment to a load carrying spring, the load carrying l springin this ligure is shown as being relatively uniexed by a load;

Fig. 2 isa similar elevation with the load carrying spring straightenedVout and With the connecting means connecting iliary spring thereto; f

Fig. 3 is aslightly larger scaled perspective view of the auxiliaryspring attachment; Fig. ijis asection taken on the line 4-4 of 'Fig 5 isay fragmentary 'perspective view showing a slight 'moditication'in thevtastening means for holdingk the middle portion of the auxiliary sp ringto the load carrying spring;

Fig 6 Vis a further modification showing the two Isprings yfastenedtogether on a vew hicle; 1 l -Figy is a. sectiontaken on the line 7-7Fig. 8 isa 'section taken on the line 8 8 ofV Figi 6;

-spring'2-v Theload carrying "spring is pivotally fastened by its'end 2Gand 2D to the vehicle 'frame 3 and at its middle to the vehicle axle 4.T wo U-shaped spring clips 5v are passed over the load carrying. spring2 "and are providedwit-h nuts-5b for ytightening;l

the .saine in'place. f The space Abetween the the aux'- and its endspass through the plate 6 which y icc Ulclips 5 is determined by thewidth of the ano'es ofthe axle which is I-shaped incross sections TheU-clips usually lie yvery closely V.

tiltingsaid flanges andsaid axles are `'relatiiily standardimseetioninifelieles haw Vsaid portions fit relatively closely between said springclips 5 to prevent longitudinal ilav;

i Iu preferably space the auxiliary spring 1 and the load carryingspring 2 by ajblo'ck 8 which is mounted up'on the load carrying springat its in'iddle and u'pon Which the auxiliary spring is mounted. Saidblock is preferably cut away at points at which the U-shaped clips passover the load carrying spring 2.and thus the bloclris held againstlongitudinalr play by said` recesses and against lateral play by thespaced pendent portion 7. l

The ends of said auxiliary spring are provided with Ulshaped clips 9,each o'f which is mounted yupon a pin 10 which passes through the eye11at the extremities of said auxiliary spring 1. Iprovid'e a pluralityofspared Vholes 12 in said U-'shaped clips 9 so as to vary the lengthofthe portion depending from said pin.

'Vhen said auxiliary spring 1 is mounted in place said I:Ll-shaped clipsare passed around the load carrying spring 2 and the f .similar to thedevices shown in Figs. 6 ,to 8,

pin 1() is passed through the holes 12 at the rdesired position. Asshown in Figs.A 1,2, .6,

and 8, there is a substantial space 13 betiv'een the inner face of theU-shaped clips and the under surface Vof the load carrying spring 2 andthusv the U-shaped clips 9 only loosely spring "through said connectionandthu's is adapted .to support a portion of said excess leadp Thepoint.. at-\vhieh the `auxiliary spring isfthroivn intot'aetion canbedetermined ,byV the ividth of vspac'e 13. Thus if the pini() is passed:through the upperholes 12 as shovvn inthe figures the` space 13 will begreater than. if .it ist-passed Vthrough the lowerl holes.

lt'is tobe understood that in Figs,- 1, 2, 8 and t the pendentportions-7v are welded to the auxiliary spring 1 and if it is desiredthat may also be Welded to the main spring 2. If the auxiliary spring 1is merely used as an attachment and is to be removed, of course themembers would vnot be connected to the main spring 2 by ivelding. ln 5lI show how the pendent portions inay be eonne'eted to the U-shaped clipandthis clip 7 may be connected to the auxiliary spring 12 by a boltlil, to hold it in placef ltis tofbeunderstood that the pendentportionsof this' i-shaped rclip are sub@ stantially equal, in size andspacing, tothe pendent portions 7 in Figs. v1v to et, inclusive. lullig.G I illustratehovv the auxiliary spring 1b can Vbe fastened to theloadCarrying spring .2*l by the spring clips 5c, of sufficient length topass over both clips.` Said springs '1b and` 2a are separated byablock8a. As shown in Figi 7 the leaves of the auxiliary spring 1b areconneetedbya bolt 111at and the leavesrof the spring 2aconnectedbyi abolt 15. The heads of beth said bolts 1i and 15 lbeing ofv substantialthickness and the bloel; 8a has recessesthereinfor receiving saidheads.y The heads being recessed in said blocks thus prevents said blockor Vsaid spring elements from shiftinglongitudinally relatively to eachother. A

The ends Vof the spring elements 1h and i2 in Figs to'8, inclusive, areconnected to gether similarly as the ends of the spring elements l yand1a are connected to the ends of the spring element 2 in Figs. 1 to 5,Qinelusive, and thus are not furtherY described in detail and bear lthesame'reference f InV Fig; v9, however, the spring elements i l areconnected attheir iniddles by --'ineans auxiliaryspi'ing 1? andV theload carrying springQ are made With eye portions 17a at each end, tl irough Which'thc pin 18fpasses and the springv element 1 0' is providedwith e \fe fs 1. 1 .a through ivhieh the pin'10a passes.Y

lnjthis n'iodification I preferably use a spring element 1"j which iseither ofsliglitly less strength,thanthe spring element 2b so that undernormal loads the auxiliary spring llt) element 1C thus doesnotfeifectthe flexureof the spring element 2 substantially but upon loads greater'than. normal the ilexureV of `the spring elementi? will tend to resistthe further iiexureof the spring` elementsr2b lthej excess loadfth rough.theconn'ection l1b. Instead of using a spring element 1"'of lessstrength l alsouse a spring which normally Y isilexed ltheoppositedireetion to that of load supporting position` in order 4toperi'iiit the pin 1 being passed through the eye 11a. The auxiliaryspring 1C Would vnormally tend oe'r u alare s re .sa ius t an A t uve rr of hotrifd h hat ' middle that assumed by the spring when connected,and thus the spring might act as a check against 'rebound under normal'loads but which would be iiexed to such a degree by excess loads thatitwould support a portion thereof and thus tend to resist further 'flexureof said load in proportion to the load carried thereby.

I claim:

l. ln a vehicle, the combination with a load carrying spring of anauxiliary spring, a pendent member at each side of said auxiliary springadapted to hold said auxiliary spring against shifting longitudinallyupon said load carrying spring...v devices connecting the auxiliaryspring with the load carrying spring at each side of the middle thereof,such connections being adapted to permit the normal flexure of the loadcarrying spring under a load less than a predetermined maximum, and todistribute the excess load between said auxiliary spring and said loadcarrying spring.

2. In a vehicle, the combination with a load carrying spring fastened atits middle by two spaced clips, of an auxiliary spring, a pendent memberat each side of said auxiliary spring adapted to straddle said loadcarrying spring and fit closely within the space between said twofastening clips, to hold said auxiliary spring against shiftinglongitudinally upon said load cairying spring, devices connecting theauxiliary spring with the load vcarrying spring at each sine of themiddle thereof, such connections being adapted to permit the normalflexure of the load carrying spring under a load less than apredetermined maximum, and to distribute the excess load between said axiliary spring and said load carrying spring.

3. ln a vehicle, the combination with a load carrying spring fastened atits middle by two spaced clips, of an auxiliary spring, an invertedU-clip straddling said auxiliary .spring adapted to straddle said loadcarrying spring and fit closely within the space between said twofastening clips, to hold said auxiliary spring against shiftinglongitudinally upon said load carrying spring, devices connecting theauxiliary spring with the load carrying spring at each side of the nsuchA connections l being thereof, adapted to permit the normal fiexureofthe load carrying spring under a load less than a predeterminedmaximum,V and to distribute tlie excess load between said auxiliaryspring and said load carryinfl spring.

sf. A demountable auxiliary spring attachment for a load carrying springof a vehicle f comprising a laminated leaf spring element provided withmeans independent ofv said load carrying spring for Vholding thespring'-V leaves of said attachment together, said attachment alsoprovided with a mounting adapted to engage the middle portion of said-maximum and vto distributethe excess load between said auxiliary springand said load carrying spring.

r5. A demountable auxiliary spring at-` tachment for a load carryingspring of a vehicle comprising a semi-elliptical springV elementprovided with spaced pendent portions one at' each sidethereof adaptedto straddle said-load carrying spring and to engage the middle portionof said load carrying spring, devices adapted to be attached to theextremities of said auxiliary spring and to engage said load carryingspring at each side of the middle thereof, said devices adapted` Ytopermit normal Hexure of said load carrying springs when supporting aload up to a predeterminedv maximum and to distribute the excessloadbetween said auxiliary spring and -said load carrying spring. i

6. A deniountable auxiliary spring attacli- .ment for a load carryingspring of a vehicle comprising a spring element provided with suacedpendent portions one at each side tiiereof adapted to straddle said loadcarry ing spring and to engage the middle portion of said load carryingspring, devices adapted to be attached to the extremities of saidauxiliary spring and to engage said load ycarrying spring at each sideof the middle thereof, said devices adapted to permit normal fiexure ofsaid load carrying springs when supporting a. load up to a predeterminedmaximum and to distribute the excess load between said auxiliary springand said load carrying spring.

7. "In a vehicle, the combination with a load carrying spring, of anauxiliary lamif spring toprevent relative shifting vof saidk springs anddevices on the extremities of rying spring at each side of the middlethere of, said devices Vadapted to permit normal fflexure of said loadcarrying springs when supporting a load up to a pre-determined maximumand to distribute the excess load between said auxiliary spring and saidload carrying spring.

, 8L In a vehicle, the combination with a load carrying spring, of anauxiliary laminated leaf-spring, means "independent of said loadcarrying spring, adapted Ato hold said spring leaves of saidauxiliary'spring,

together, a mounting releasably engaging said auxiliary sprin'O'engaging said load carsaid. auxiliary spring with saidloadfearryvicesadaptedto :permit nor-mal flexure of iug'spring toprevent relative shifting of said-flead'carryingspringsWhensupportiugsaid Springe, said leaf Vvesting means Cona load uptomapre-determinedmaximum'and 10 stil-utiug a part of said mounting andde; to distribute `lliefexcess load Vbetween Said 5 vices on theextremities of said auxiliary :auxiliary Vspring and said load carryingSpring engaging said'loacl carrying spring at spring. each side. of themiddle thereof, said (le- Y .FRANK JJLAHER.

